Electric railway



(No Model.)

R. M. HUNTER. ELECTRIC RAILWAY Patented July 15, 1890.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

RUDOLPH M. HUNTER, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO THE THOMSON-HOUSTON ELECTRIC COMPANY, OF CONNECTICUT.

ELECTRIC RAILWAY.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 432,049, dated July 15, 1890. Original application filed June 29, 1887, Serial No. 242,841, Divided and this application filed April 26, 1890, Serial No. 349,629.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, RUDOLPH M. HUNTER, of the city and county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented an Improvementin Electric Railways, of which the following is a specification.

My invention has reference to electric railways; and itconsists in certain improvements, which are fully set forth in the following speci- IO fication and shown in the accompanying drawings, which form a part thereof.

This application (Case 139) is a division of my application, Serial No. 2425M, filed June 29, 1887, and embodies features with respect to r 5 systems for supplying current to vehicles or cars moving along a railway.

The particular feature of my present application is the embodiment in an electric railway or system of electric railways of the following improvements, to wit: two or more railways or sections of railways, each supplied with a separate generator'or source of electrical energy, and these various railways or sections of railways may be worked under constant regulation, governed by the current in one section or railway. The terminal of the line is made into a loop for the cars to turn around on the return-trip, and the conductors are so arranged that the electrically- 0 propelled cars cannot run around said curve at a high speed. This avoids danger of jumping the track. The car, when turning, is invariably empty; hence but small power is required to propel it, and the construction is 3 5 preferably such that the operator cannot increase the speed of the car above a certain velocity. v

The foregoing are the essential features of my invention, and in carrying them into cf- 40 feet there are involved many details, which are fully referred to hereinafter.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a diagram showing two electric railways or sections thereof supplied from separate generators of electricity. Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic plan View of another arrangement of same; and Figs. 3, 4, and 5 are diagrammatic plan views of modified arrangements of the working-conduetors and (No n udel.)

showing the use of'the looped end of the con ductors for turning thecars.

In the construction shown in Fig. 1, the two railways C and C are supplied by separate dynamos, and the current passing to line C may be regulated by a resistance-changer D or other suitable well-known regulator. This 5 5 current may be made to energize an electromagnet d, which actuates an armature switchlever d and causes it to move over resistance D to regulate the current in the railway C in accordance with changes in railway 0. 6c

The end of the railways C and C may be united so far as mechanical operation is concerned, as shown by loop O; In this case the positive conductor of the loop is severed and connected with the positive conductor of railway 0 through aresistance c. From this it is evident that a car running out line C will automatically slow down when turning the loop C, and then return by line C at a higher speed.

In the construction shown in Fig. 2 the two pairs of line-conductors and both the positive and negative looped conductors are connected to the line-conductors C by resistances c, and, if desired, the looped conductors maybe eonneeted also with line C by resistances, as indieated in dotted lines.

The construction shown in Fig. 3 is the same as that shown in Fig. 1, except that both lines are receiving current from.the saine dyname.

Fig. at shows a construction inwhich the two positive line-conductors are coupled up in series and the two negative line-conductors coupled in series, and in'which the ends of the two conductors of opposite polarity of the two lines are connected with opposite poles of the generator to equalize the line-resistance for all positions of the motor on the line. The negative line -conductor is continued around to form the negative conductor of the loop C, and the positive conductor of the loop is connected to the positive conductor of the line through a resistance 0 In the construction shown in Fig. 5 the end of a single track is looped for turning the cars around with the same object in view as inthe other instances. The negative conduct-or of main line and loop is continuous, while the positive conductor of the loop is connected to the main-line positive conductor through a resistance-circuit 0 as before. This circuit may also have a magnet or solenoid 0 which operates a switch-lever 0 against the action of a spring to out in or out the resistances W, which are in series with the resistance a. By this means the resistance may be varied, so that more or less of the resistance is cut out or inserted in accordance with any change in the current in the main line, so as to supply a motor on the loop with a given current to insure a constant speed while on theloop, irrespective of .changes in the line-current. This automatic resistancechanger for the loop-circuit may be used with any of the circuits shown.

The circuits may be the rails, conductors in a conduit, or overhead or suspended conductors, or a combination of both.

I do not limit myself to the details of construction, as they may be modified in various ways without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination of two railways having their conductor-terminalsarranged close to each other, one end of the conductors of one railway being looped, so as to come in line with the conductors of the other railway, but electrically disconnected therefrom.

2. The combination of two railways having their conductor-terminals arranged close to each other, one end of the conductors of one railway being looped, so as to come in line with the conductors of the other railway, but electrically disconnected therefrom, and a resistance interposed between one of the lineconductors and the corresponding looped conductor, so that a car on the loop must run slowly.

8. The combination of two railways having their conductor-terminals arranged close to each other, one end of the conductors of one railway being looped, so as to come in line with. the conductors of the other railway, but electrically disconnected therefrom, a resistance interposed between one of the line-conductors and the corresponding looped conductor, so that a car on the loop must run slowly, and means to vary said resistance.

4. The combination of two railways having their conductor-terminals arranged close to each other, one end of the conductors of one railway being looped. so as to come in line with the conductors of the other railway, but

vary said resistance in accordance with the change in the line-current.

5. The combination of the conductors C and C of two railways, separate generators for each of said railways, an electro-magnet d, energized by the current flowing in the conductors O, a switch-lever d, actuated by said magnet, and a variable resistance (1 for the conductors C controlled by said switch-lever.

6. The combination of the conductors C and C of two railways, separate generators for each of said railways, a resistance-changer D for the conductors C, an electro-magnet d, energized by the current flowing in'the conductors O, a switch-lever d, actuated by said magnet, and a variable resistance (1 for the conductors O controlled by said switch-lever.

7. The combination of two line-conductors of two electric railways, separate generators for said conductors, and regulating devices to maintain a constant relation between the currents flowing in both line-conductors.

8. In an electric railway, a line-conductor divided in sections arranged end to end to form a mechanically-continuous conductor, and a separate generator of electricity for each of said sections.

9. The combination of two lines of railwayconductors arranged substantially parallel and having opposite ends of the conductors of opposite polarity connected with the generator, whereby the line-resistance is the same for all positions of the motor on the line, and looped conductors at one end of the line-conductors mechanically connecting the two lines of railway-conductors into continuous conductors, whereby a car may go up one railway and down the other.

10. The combination of a workingconductor-of the main line of the railway with a looped conductor at one terminal thereof, a source-of electrical supply to the line working-conductor, and a resistance interposed between the line working-conductor and looped conductor. 1

11. The combination of a working-conductor of the main line of the railway with a looped conductor at one terminal thereof, a source of electrical supply to the line working-conductor, a resistance interposed between the line working-conductor and looped conductor, and means to vary said resistance.

12. The combination of a working-conductor of the main line of the railway, with'a looped conductor at one terminal thereof, a source of electrical supply to the line working-conductor, a resistance interposed be- IIO tween the line working-conductor and looped conductor, and automatic means to vary said resistance in accordance with the number of cars on the looped conductor.-

13. The combination of the line workingconductor, a looped working-conductor conneeting with the end of the line, a connecting-circuit containing a fixed resistance, a variable resistance, a switch to vary the resistance, and an electro-magnet to move the switch to change said variable resistance to suit the number of cars on the loop.

'14. The combination of two line working-e conductors and two looped Working-conductors, one of the line-conductors being directly connected with its looped conductor, and an interposed resistance between the other lineconductor and its looped conductor.

15. The combination of two line workinging-condnctors and two looped working-conductors, one of the line-conductors being directly connected with its looped conductor, an interposed resistance between the other Witnesses:

ERNEST HOWARD HUNTER, S. T. YERKES. 

